Wire holder



p 1953 J. A. FINDLAY ,650,948

WIRE HOLDER Filed April 15, 1951 INVENTOR. JAMES A. FINDLAY BY W624i! Patented Sept. 1, 1953 WIRE HOLDER James A. Findlay, near Bellevue, Wash., assignor to Boeing Airplane Company, Seattle, Wash., a

corporation of Delaware Application April 13, 1951, Serial No. 220,955

11 Claims. (01. 174-168) This invention relates to a device for holding or supporting wires along a wall or other base and is particularly concerned with an electrical conductor holder for use in airplanes. As herein illustratively described, the improved wire holder is capable of porting a plurality of parallel wires spaced apart in a flat linear array. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited with respect to the number or specific arrangement of wires held nor to various other details of the holder except as they may constitute necessary limitations in the appended claim as read in the light of this specification.

In large military aircraft, for example, the electrical system can be made less vulnerable to destruction under combat conditions if instead of using 'n le-wire distribution lines, multiple wire lines are used, whereby if one of the wire; is broken, the chances will be good that there 11 still be another wire int-act in the same side the distribution circuit to carry current.

ed closely adjacent to the aircraft fuselage wall or other base structure, thereby occupying a minimum of otherwise useful space, being easily accessible for servicing, having maximum current due to the greater effective cooling area, and being least subject to the possibility of damaging adjacent vires in the event of a ground fault on one or more of. the wires i the array.

A general object of the invention, therefore, is a holder cap-able of mounting on the fuselage wall or other base structure to support and securely hold in fixed relation thereto one or more wires, particularly of a substantially flat linear array as just previously described. More specificall it is an object to provide such a holder which is relatively small, light in weight, inexpensive and simple to manufacture, install and operate for gripping and releasing wires therein.

A further object is such a holder which can be used for either care or insulated wires, exerts substantially uniform pressure on the different wires of an array held between its base portion and clamp portion, and functions a Well to hold large wires as relatively small ones, within the size limitations of a particular holder.

Still another object is such a Wire holder having a positive locking clamp portion requiring no adjustment or change of latch elements or coactin parts to accommodate wires of different sizes in the same holder. In that respect the improved holder automatically exerts a heavier grip on large Wires than on small ones retained therein when the holder clamp portion is closed and the latch elements thereof interengaged. Moreover, in its preferred form no tools are required to open or close the holder, and it may be mounted horizontally, vertically, or in any position or attitude without affecting its operation or holding action.

The improved holder comprises a base member adapted for mounting on a wall or other support, and clamp means cooperating with such base member to hold an array of one or more wires therein. The base member preferably comprises an insulating block of generally channel cross section having a backing or web portion and outwardly projecting side or flange portions which are notched at corresponding intervals to receive Wires therein extending transversely to the flange portions. Such notches taper inwardly in Width and are of a maximum or outer width sufficient to receive the largest size wire and of a minimum or base width somewhat narrower than the smallest size Wire to be retained in the holder. The clamp means comprises a pressure plate and actuating arm structure pivoted at one end of the base nember to swing the pressure plate into ber preventing endwise movement of the wires in the holder. Moreover, the bottom or wirecontacting face of the pressure plate is V-shaped or of convex form, and as a result kinks the short stretches of Wires between the base member flanges to increase the grip of the holder on the wires against longitudinal sliding. A positive locking element, releasable at will, engages the swinging end of the actuating arm to hold it in closed position.

As a further feature of the improved holder, the clamp means includes a spring element which establishes the force exerted by the pressure plate against the wires in closed position of the actuating arm. In one illustrated form of the invention the actuating arm itself is of resilient construction and comprises such spring means, while in the other illustrated form such spring means comprises a separate spring element interposed between a rigid actuating arm and the pressure plate. Although in some applications of the holder one of the illustrated form-s thereof may be preferred over the other, the general principle of the spring means is the same in both cases. The shape of the spring element in relation to its supports produces a spring force which increases with deflection at a progressively increasing rate whereby the wire-deforming or kinking force of the pressure plate is proportionally much greater for large wires than it is for small wires retained in the holder. In addition to having a nonlinear deflection characteristic producing approximately the same deformation or kinking of diiferent siZe wires, and thereby the desired retaining hold on such wires, the spring means also inherently provides a latchholding resilient force preventing accidental release of the actuating arm and opening of the holder.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the improved wire holder will become more fully evident from the following description of the preferred forms thereof by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one preferred form of the improved-wire holder in open position.

Figure 2 is a corresponding perspective view of the holder in closed position, carrying an array of wires.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the improved wire holder in open position.

Figure 5 is a corresponding perspective view of the modified holder in closed position, carrying an array of wires.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is an end view of the modified form of holder in closed position, carrying wires as in Figure 5.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the generally channelshaped base member it, preferably of suitable insulating material, has a bottom or web portion l2 and opposite side or flange portions it. The web i2 is apertured to receive mounting screws !6 or other securing elements by which the holder is attached to a wall or other support. V-shaped notches idea at corresponding interval locations in the respective flanges 54lreceive the wires Wl, W2 and W3 extending transversely across and over the base portion is as shown (Figure 2). Preferably, for most applications of the wire holder, the spacing between successive notches Na in each flange i4 is uniform, and is approximately twice the distance between each end of such flange and the respectively adjacent end notches. Thus a series of such holders mounted end-to-end in alignment on a support will provide the same spacing between adjacent wires of successive arrays held in the respective holders as the spacing between wires in a particular array.

The clamp means by which the wires are pressed into the notches i ia comprises a pressure plate l8, preferably of suitable insulating material, carried by an actuating arm 2% which is pivoted by one end on a transverse pin 22 for swinging of such plate into and from the space between opposite flanges Hi. The ends of the pivot pin 22 are anchored in the lower portions of base member end lugs 2 as shown. The pressure plate l8 extends substantially the full length of the base member, so that three of the wires W5, W2, and W3 in the holder are contacted uniformly by such plate when the actuating arm is swung downward towards closed position. In the closed position the pressure plate is generally parallel to the holder bottom.

As seen in Figure 3, the lower side edges of the pressure plate are rounded and the width of the pressure plate between flanges I4 is somewhat less than the flange spacing, whereby as downward pressure of the plate against the wires is increased, the wires are kinked or deformed, as well as being wedged tightly into the notches l ia because of the downward pressure. As a result the wires are held securely against endwise movement in the holder in the lowered or closed position of the actuating arm wherein its hooked end 20a is retained in the complementally hooked upper end 2601. of the latch member 25 mounted at the end of the base member opposite the pivot pin 22.

A release tab 26b projecting outward from the latch member 26 permits swinging it endwise of the holder out of engagement with the actuating arm and release of such arm for holder-opening movement, when the arm is first pressed downward to free the interlocking hook portions 20a and 26a.

As shown in Figure 1, the actuating arm 20 has a base end portion 2% extending generally radially from the pivot pin 22 which it encircles slidably for pivoting. From such base portion 2th the arm has a general body portion 2 cc extending generally at right angles in relation thereto. Such body portion is bowed downwardly or inwardly of the holder base, its free or swinging end carrying the hook portion 29a as previously mentioned. The pressure plate i8 is fastened in generally tangential relation to the middle of the bowed portion Zilc by rivets 28. When the actuating arm 20 is swung downward to press the plate it? against the array of wires W l, W2, W3 in the holder, the bowed body portion 200 of the arm, which is of resilient metal, progressively straightens out as downward pressure is increased to bring the arms hooked end 20a. ultimately into engagement with the latch hook 2519, as shown (Figure 2).

The amount of spring deflection or straightening necessary to accomplish such latch engagement, hence the pressure of the spring portion Ziic exerted against the wires through the pressure plate i8 is greater with larger wires than with small ones, because the larger wires prevent approach of the pressure plate as near to the bottom of the holder as permitted by the smaller wires when the arm as is swung downward into closed position. It will be seen that as the spring portion 290 straightens under progressively in creasing pressure during closing movement of the holder arm, such spring lays at progressively increasing length against the top face of the pressure bar it. As it does so its effective length is decreased, and its stiffness is thereby increased. This increase in stiffness occurs substantially as the inverse cube of decreasing length of the spring. As a result the holder automatically provides the requisite wire deforming force necessary to produce a given deformation or kinking of large and small wires alike, the spring characteristics of the actuating arm approximately matching the force-deflection characteristics of different size wires in the holder, as desired. Moreover the pressure of the bar It is substantially uniform on all of the wires held down by it.

In the modified form of holder appearing in Figures 4 to 7, inclusive, the base portion i0 is substantially the same as the base portion 10 in the preceding form. The chief modification of the instant form over the preceding form lies in the particular clamp means, comprising in this instance the modified pressure bar 30, actuating arm 32 and spring element 312. The pivot pin 22 for the actuating arm and pressure plate is located somewhat higher on the end lugs 24 than in the preceding form, as an incident of the modified clamp means arrangement. The rigid actuating arm 32 has a hooked end 32a which engages under a latch element 36 mounted on the end of the base portion ID opposite the pivot pin 22' as shown. The latch element 36 has an upwardly projecting mid-portion 36a corresponding to the tab 261) in the previous form, by which the actuating arm 32 in closed position (Figure 5) may be released for opening. The latching element 36 is formed of a generally U- shaped piece of resilient wire having lower end portions 36b (Figure 5) which are turned outward at right angles and retained in transverse bores in the sides or flanges M of the base member l0. faces of opposite sides of the base member flanges 14' retain the latch member 35 against pivoting about its anchored lower ends.

As shown in Figure 7, the general size and form of the pressure plate 36 is approximately the same as the plate 58 in the previously described form. In this case, however, the lower face of the pressure plate is more sharply convex, being generally V-shaped, but the action of the plate to kink or deform the wires W1, W2 and W3 held in the notches Hid is similar to the previously described form.

The actuating arm proper 32, the spring strip 34 and the metal strip 33 backing the pressure plate 30 are formed of a continuous sheet metal strip having an apex portion 320 bent to partly encircle and slide pivotally around the pin 22. Of insulating material, the pressure plate Be is molded with anchor projections (Figure 6) which extend upwardly through holes in the backing strip 33 and are sufficiently enlarged above such holes to prevent their withdrawal therefrom, thereby holding the pressure plate securely to the two such strips. The actuating arm 32 has formed stiffening side flanges 3% between which the bowed spring 34 is received when the actuating arm is swung downward to bring the pressure plate 36 against the Wires and thereafter bring the actuating arm into contact with the spring 34 by bending of the composite clamp means strip about the apex portion 32c.

The upwardly bowed shape of the spring 34 is such that initial contact of the lower face of the actuating arm 32 with the upper side of such spring during closing movement of the arm occurs on the spring at a substantial distance from its base end 3254. At this stage of closing movement of the actuating arm, therefore, the effective length of the spring is a maximum, and its stiffness at a minimum. As the actuating arm is pressed downwardly further toward closed position, however, and the spring 34 deflected proportionately thereby, its free end 3% moves downward towards the backing strip 33 and the sliding point of contact of the spring with the lower face of the actuating arm 32 shifts progressively towards the springs base end 34a (toward the right in Figure 6). Thus the stiffness of the spring progressively increases with deflection thereof as in the preceding form. As a result the force exerted by the spring in the closed position of the holder is, as before, a function of wire size. Limiting deflection of the spring occurs when its free end contacts the upper side of the backing strip 33 (Figure 6) corresponding to Parallel vertical ribs 35 on the inner 6 the condition when wires of maximum size are held in the closed holder.

One advantage of the second illustrated form of the wire holder over the first form is the elimination of the actuating arm end portion 2% which in the open position of the holder projects endwise from the base portion. In some installations such a projection from the holder might prevent its being fully opened because of physical interference with some external structure immediately adjacent to that end of the holder. As seen in Figure 4, the modified holder has no such endwise projection when opened and may be opened without interference of the type described. Otherwise the holders function in the same manner and would provide substantially the same advantages for a variety of different applications involving the holding of one or more wires securely in relation to a fixed wall structure or other base support as desired.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the backing strip 33,, which is of the same resilient material as spring portion 34, is cut away at opposite sides along lines 33a to reduce its width in the portion thereof between the hinge pin 22 and the nearest nub 30a. As the pressure plate is brought against the wires WI, W2 and W3 this portion of the strip assumes a downwardly bowed form tangential to the upper side of the plate in the vicinity of said hub 30a. As the pressure is increased this bowed portion lies at progressively increasing length against such back side of the plate, shifting the point of tangency thereof toward the pivot axis of the assemblage and increasing the stiffness of such bowed portion of strip 33a as a spring. The action is such, determined by the remaining width of the strip 33 between edges that pressure of the plate 30 is approximately the same against wire W3 as it is against wires W i and W2, as in the previously described form.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wire holder comprising a base member adapted for mounting on an independent support and having a wire-receiving portion thereon adapted to supportingly receive thereagainst a wire extending across said base member, and thereby to locate such wire in spaced relation to the independent support, a pressure member, means pivoted on said base member and carrying said pressure member for swinging thereof inwardly toward said base member from a position spaced appreciably outward from said wire-receiving portion thereof into position of contact with a wire on said portion to press the same thereagainst, yieldable resilient means oneratively interposed between said pivoted means and said pressure member and deformable by swinging of said pivoted means inwardly toward said base member after arresting contact of the pressure member occurs with the wire, the resilient force of said resilient means, hence the pressure of said pressure member against the wire increasing with further inward swinging of said pivoted means, a first securing element fixed on said base member at a distance from the pivot axis of said pivoted means, and a cooperating securing element carried by said pivoted means in position thereon to engage said first securing element upon inward swinging of said pivoted means into predetermined general spaced relation thereto, corresponding to the closed position of the holder, engagement of said securing elements establishing and maintaining said pivoted means in the same closed position relative to said base member for different sizes of wire 7 interposed between said wire-receiving portion and said pressure member.

2. The wire holder defined in claim 1,- wherein the wire-receiving portion of the base member includes two wire-engaging insulating supports spaced apart along the wire and projected somewhat outwardly from the outer surface of the base member between such supports, whereby the Wire is unsupported therebetween, the pressure member being formed and the pivoted means guiding the pressure member to contact the wire at a location generally between said supports whereby inward resilient pressure of such pressure member produced by the resilient means against the wire causes the same to kink between said supports.

3. The wire holder defined in claim 2, wherein the two supports have inwardly tapered notches therein to receive the wire wedgingly therein.

4. The wire holder defined in claim 2, wherein the yieldable resilient means has a resilient force which varies with deflection at a nonlinear rate materially greater than linear.

5. The wire holder defined in claim l, wherein the force-deflection characteristic of the resilient means is approximately a cube law relationship.

6. The wire holder defined in claim 2, wherein the two supports comprise projecting base member elements having inwardly tapered notches therein to receive the wire wedgingly therein, and

the yieldable resilient means has a force-deflection characteristic which is approximately a cube law relationship.

'7. A wire holder comprising' a base member adapted for mounting on an independent support and being of generally channel cross section with parallel flange portions notched at intervals along the length thereof to receive in corresponding respective notches wires extending across said base member and thereby to locate such wires in spaced relation to each other and to the independent support, a pressure bar or" a length sufficient to engage all of said wires, means pivoted on said base member at a location beyond the notches and carrying said pressure bar for swinging thereof from a position spaced appreciably outward from said wires, inwardly of said base member into a position of contact with said Wires generally between said flange portions to press such wires inwardly of said base member r and into said notches, yieldable resilient means operatively interposed between said pivoted means and said pressure bar and deformable by swinging of said pivoted means inwardly toward said base member following contact of said pressure bar with the wires, the resilient force of said resilient means, hence the pressure of said pressure bar against such wires increasing with further inward swinging of said pivoted means, a first securing element fixed on said base member at a distance from the pivot axis of said pivoted means, and a cooperating securing element carried by said pivoted means in position thereon to engage said first securing element upon inward swinging of said pivoted means into predetermined general spaced relation to said base member constituting the closed position of said pivoted means, established and maintained by engagement of said securing elements, the resulting pressure of said pressure bar on the wires, in the closed position of said pivoted means, and thereby the deformation of said wires between said flange portions being thereby established by said resilient means in accordance with the size of said wires received in said notches.

8. The wire holder defined in claim 7, wherein the notches are tapered inwardly of the respective flange portions for wedging of the respective wires into said notches under pressure from the pressure bar.

9. The wire holder defined in claim '7, wherein the pivoted means comprises an arm having an elongated body portion extending generally parallel to the base member flange portions and overlying the space therebetween in the inwardly swung position of the arm and pressure bar, said body portion being a resilient strip bowed inwardly toward the base member and constituting the resilient means of the holder, the side of the pressure bar away from the base member being generally flat and secured in gen erally tangential relation to the general midportion of the bowed strip, whereby as the arm is swung progressively toward the base member the effective length of its bowed body portion as a spring is progressively decreased in reaction to pressure of the pressure bar against the wires.

10. The wire holder defined in claim 9, wherein the shape of the bowed resilient strip in relation to the outer face of the pressure bar joined thereto produces an approximately cube law re lationship between pressure of the pressure bar against the wires and size of the wires in the holder, in closed position of the arm.

11. The wire holder defined in claim '7, wherein th pivoted means comprises an elongated rigid arm extending generally parallel to the fiange portions of the base member and overlying the space between such flange portions, such pivoted means further comprising means interconnecting such rigid arm and the pressure bar for conjoint swinging thereof but yieldably to permit relative approach of such rigid arm toward said pressure bar when the latter is arrested during inward swinging by contact with the wires in the notches, the resilient means comprising a bowed resilient strip interposed between such pressure bar and rigid arm and subject to fiattening therebetween progressively by relative approach of said rigid arm toward said pressure bar.

JAMES A. FINDLAY.

References (Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,408,045 Cottrell Sept. 24, 1946 2,549,725 Uline et al Apr. 1'7, 1951 

